CVE-2023-22477 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

This CVE-2023-22477 affects Mercurius, a GraphQL adapter for Fastify, making it susceptible to a denial of service (DoS) attack when utilizing subscriptions.

Understanding CVE-2023-22477

This vulnerability in Mercurius can lead to a DoS attack, impacting users who are utilizing versions of Mercurius up to 10.5.0.

What is CVE-2023-22477?

CVE-2023-22477 is a vulnerability that allows attackers to initiate a DoS attack on systems using Mercurius up to version 10.5.0 by sending a malformed packet over WebSocket to

/graphql

.

The Impact of CVE-2023-22477

The impact of this vulnerability is moderate with a CVSS base score of 5.3 (MEDIUM). It does not require any special privileges for exploitation and can lead to service unavailability for affected systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-22477

This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Mercurius allows attackers to exploit the GraphQL adapter by sending a malformed packet over WebSocket to

/graphql

, resulting in a DoS attack.

Affected Systems and Versions

Systems using Mercurius versions lower than 10.5.0 are affected by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted packets over WebSocket to the

/graphql

endpoint, causing a DoS attack on the system.

Mitigation and Prevention

Mitigating the impact of CVE-2023-22477 involves taking immediate steps and implementing long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users can apply the patch provided in pull request #940 to address the vulnerability.
As a workaround, users can disable subscriptions to prevent potential DoS attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update Mercurius to the latest version to ensure security patches are applied promptly.
Implement network monitoring and intrusion detection systems to identify and mitigate DoS attacks.

Patching and Updates

Users are advised to update Mercurius to version 10.5.0 or higher to eliminate the vulnerability and enhance the security posture of their systems.